


leading the way home

by holy1_hell1



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Army Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Established Relationship, M/M, Married Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Parent Evan "Buck" Buckley, U.S. Navy SEAL Evan "Buck" Buckley, buck's a good dad, but like very briefly - Freeform, chris calls buck papa bc feels, like for like 3 whole sentences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:55:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26652553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holy1_hell1/pseuds/holy1_hell1
Summary: Now almost 2 weeks later Bobby was definitely sprouting some new grey hairs that had definitely not been there before and he was sure that he almost had a heart attack this morning - Buck thought he could do some daring rescue and did it without a second thought, and Bobby was slowly going insane, how Buck thought of these ideas was beyond him.oran au where buck joins the 118 but is married
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 1150
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales, Navy SEAL!Evan "Buck" Buckley





	leading the way home

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Been about 273 days and I’m coming home.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24305188) by [zimnokurw](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zimnokurw/pseuds/zimnokurw). 
  * Inspired by [Been about 273 days and I’m coming home.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24305188) by [zimnokurw](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zimnokurw/pseuds/zimnokurw). 



> i hope you guys enjoy this, this has been sitting in why drafts since like july, 
> 
> i've also decried that y13 is officially the worst year to become obsessed with a fandom, so my advice is to absolutely not become obsessed with any sort of fandom in y13 because you will regret it.

_**EDDIE STAREd AT HIS LAPTOP SCRREN**_ , _his eyes racking over the bills and total expenses and he sighed, "Buck, I - I don't know where we're going to get all this money from."_

_Eddie watched as his husband finished plating their breakfast and placed it in front of him. The smell of freshly cooked bacon and waffles has him drooling, "We'll figure something out, we alway do."_

_"That was before we moved to L.A. and bought a house and got a mortgage that we're going to be spending the rest of our lives paying off," Eddie bites back and then feels guilty immediately,_ _"I'm sorry, it's just, we can't afford to take an other loan, and we still have to pay for Chris' surgery and then his PT and speech therapy, god it's like one bill after the other." Eddie sighed, rubbing his face._

_"Have you tired calling Shannon?" Buck offered._

_"Yes, but she just never picks up, it doesn't even go to voicemail!"_

_Buck sighed, it's been almost two years since Shannon's ghosted them, and yet they still try, every time._

_"I-" Buck hesitated, "I could always call Steve, I know he'd be more than happy to let me back on the team."_

_"No," Eddie doesn't even need to think, "I love you for that, I really do but you're not going to the SEALs, I wouldn't know where you are or when you're coming back," The 'if you're coming back' remains unsaid, "I could reenlist," He really, really doesn't want to but it pays good to be in the Army._

_"No." Buck shot his idea down just as quick, "You barely survived the last time."_

_"I know, but what are we supposed to do? I only have a high school diploma, it's not like I can get a well paying job here. We moved here for Chris, so that he can have access to the best healthcare facilities, we can't do that if we're living off of only your firefighter salary."_

_"You could join the academy." Buck volunteered._

_"We can't afford it, you know that. 3K on top of all of this? We're going to drown under debt."_

_"Is there anything else you can do?"_

_"Other than going to a loan shark? No."_

_Bucks sighed and rests his head on Eddie's shoulder, "God I hate being an adult."_

_Eddie laughed, "Who said you were?"_

_Buck made a noise of mock offence but doesn't say anything._

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

Eddie's hugging Buck like a lifeline, "I'm sorry," He apologies.

"Don't, I just want to remember this without you being all mopey _."_ Buck's voice is muffled by his shirt but Eddie can make out his words.

"I'm the mopey one here?"

"Chris your dad's being mean."

"Dad you can't be mean to papa!" Their son chides him and Eddie lets out a laugh, he was going to miss this.

He crouches down to meet Chris' eyes, "I love you buddy," He places a gentle kiss on forehead, "Look after your papa okay?"

Christopher nods and Eddie can see the tears in his eyes, and it makes his heart break, "Are you leaving because you think I'm a burden too?" Eddie's whole world shatters, the only sound he can hear is the shape intake of breath coming from Buck and Christopher's voice.

"What? No! Who called you a burden?" Eddie can't stop himself, he could never think of Chris as a burden.

"I hear _Tía_ talking to _Tío_ that mom left because she think I'm a burden." Eddie can feel his own tears running down his face as Chris speaks, his voice so small that Eddie's sure that he wouldn't be able to hear it if he wasn't crouched down at Chirs' level.

He cups his face and brushes away the tear, Buck holds him, pressing kisses to his head, "You are _never_ a burden Chris, _ever,"_ He emphasises, "I love you so much _míjo."_

"Then why do you have to go?" 

Buck speaks this time, his voice is calm and collected but Eddie knows on the inside he's freaking just as much as he is, "You know how Wonder Woman had to leave her home to save all those people?" Buck asks, and Chris replies with a nod, "Well your dad has to do the same thing, he has to leave so he can go save all those people who need his help." Eddie thanks whatever deity there is for giving him Buck, the selfless man who would stop at nothing to help those he loves.

"Oh," The sadness from his voice disappears, "Daddy's like Wonder Woman?"

Eddie chuckles, "Yeah, kiddo."

"Are you going to get your own Steve?" 

Eddie smiles, looking at Buck, "I don't need to, your papa's my Steve." He bends down and kisses Chris' forehead, "I love you kiddo."

"I love you too dad."

He stands back up, shouldering his bag and meets Buck's eyes, unshed tears fill them and Eddie holds back his own tears, "I love you," He rests their foreheads together, enjoying the warmth his husband provided. He kisses Buck, trying to pour as much passion as he could; Eddie was never good with words, he could never find the right set of words that conveyed how he felt, but he could show how much he loved Buck, and that's all that mattered to Buck, as long as Eddie loved him - in any way possible - they would be happy. So keeps on kissing him until his lungs scream for oxygen, he still doesn't pull away, he doesn't want to pull away but Buck does, forcing them to breathe. Their both panting softly, and Eddie wants to kiss him again, he wants to map Buck so he could remember him. 

"I love you," Buck kisses him again, and then places a kiss on his forehead, "Come home soon."

Eddie smiles before hugging both his boys tight. He reluctantly lets go, knowing that he has to go. He doesn't say goodbye, because goodbye would mean that it's the end, and it's not. He will come back.

\------- 

The moment that Evan Buckley had walked into the firehouse 118, Bobby knew that he would have his work cut out for him. Hen had been so vehemently against the idea of a new member, citing that they were fine the way they were and that knew people would only ruin the dynamic they had.

_"Bobby! You know I'm right, we don't need a new recruit, we're fine the way we are!" She protested._

_"Hen," He sighed, "You know I can't control it, he's a good kid, one of the best his old captain claimed."_

_"Hi, I'm looking for Captain Nash?" A voice inquired, Bobby turned to the new man, "I'm Evan, I, uh, I'm supposed to start here."_

_He turned to Hen and Chimney, and suppressed a smile, "I don't a Captain Nash, do you know?"_

_He could see the glint in Hen's eyes, "Can't say I do, what about you Chim?"_

_Chim bit the inside of his lip and shook his head, "Don't think so Hen."_

_And Bobby watched the smile drop from his face as fumbled for his phone, no doubt checking if he came to the right place._

_"I'm messing with ya kid," He laughed, "I'm Captian Nash, have a seat Evan Buckley."_

_Evan sighed in relief and took the empty seat opposite Hen, "Everyone calls me Buck."_

_"Alright Buck," Bobby said as he hands him the plate, "Welcome to the 118."_

Now almost 2 weeks later Bobby was definitely sprouting some new grey hairs that had definitely not been there before and he was sure that he almost had a heart attack this morning - Buck thought he could do some daring rescue and did it without a second thought, and Bobby was slowly going insane, how Buck thought of these ideas was beyond him.

"So Buck," Chim asks as he plops onto the sofa next Buck, "Where the hell do you think of these ideas?"

"What do you mean?"

"The stunt you pulled this morning? How the hell did you think of that?"

"Oh that," He laughs, "I did something similar when I was with the SEALs."

Bobby couldn't keep the surprise off his face, Buck was a SEAL?

"You're a SEAL?" Chim voices Bobby's question.

"Yeah, served for a few couple years before I retired."

"Damn Buckaroo," Hen whistled, "Never would've pegged you for a SEAL." 

The alarm rings and they get into the truck, Bobby taking the captains seat and the others taking their respective seats. He glances back at Buck who's engrossed on his phone, he never would've guessed that Buck was a SEAL, while Bobby didn't know many SEALs he did know that they were some of the toughest out there and to imagine Buck, someone who was akin to a golden retriever puppy, being an emotionless solider was just impossible.

The call was a med call, so Bobby and Buck had just waited and let Hen and Chim do the work.

"Hey," A voice calls out, "I'm Sherry." The woman introduces herself.

Buck gives a smile and engages in polite conversation, Bobby steals out of ear shot and lets them have their conversation, it's obvious that she's flirting with, given her stance ad fluttering eyelashes and Buck - Bobby has to stifle a laugh - Buck looks wildly uncomfortable; this wasn't the first time that Buck was being hit on. Hen and Chim are done and come stand next to him.

"Again?" Chim whines, "Why can't I get hit on?"

Hen laughs, "It's cause of the birthmark Chim, it makes him irresistible."

The truck pulls up to the station and Bobby hides the confusion on the face when he sees a woman and a child standing near the entrance, what confuses him even more is that Buck nearly falls out of the truck in order to reach them.

"Papa!" The child hollers, making his way to Buck, "Ms. Carla show him!"

"Chris, what're you doing here?" He asks placing a gentle kiss on the kid's - Chris' - forehead.

" _Someone_ ," The woman's voice calls out, "Couldn't wait to show their papa his science test." The woman next to him says as she holds out a piece of paper - the science test Bobby assumes.

"I got an A!" He cheers.

The smile that graces Buck's face is almost blinding and Bobby relates to him, he knew exactly what Buck was feeling because he felt the same way when Brooke or Bobby Jr. showed him their tests.

"No way!" Buck exclaims, "I guess that calls for some ice cream after dinner don't you think?"

"Yeah!"

"Alright kiddo," The woman coaxes, "Your dad's gotta get back to work."

Buck places his kid back on the floor and Bobby notes the crutches on each arm. Bobby takes that as his cue and clears his throat, directing their attention to him.

"Who's this Buck?"

Buck smiles and looks at his son, "This is my son Christopher," He explains, a fond smile making its way onto his face.

Bobby puts his hand out for a handshake and Christhopers takes it immediately, "Hi Christopher, I'm Bobby, I work with your dad."

"Hi Mr. Bobby!" He greets enthusiastically.

Bobby's heart just melts, the kid was adorable.

"And that's Hen and Chimney," He points to the duo, who smile and wave at Chris.

"Chimney?" Chris makes a face.

Buck laughs, "Yeah I think it's a weird name too kiddo."

"It's now weird papa," Chris scolds Buck, "I think it's cool."

"Alright," Buck laughs, "Chimney is a cool name," Buck bends down to kiss the top of Chris' forehead and ruffles his hair.

"Papa!" He whines, "You messed up my hair."

"It was going to get messed up anyway," Buck points out, glancing at his watch, "Don't you have your surf lessons in an hour?"

"Yeah!" He nods excitedly, "Can you come?"

Buck's smile falters, "You know I can't buddy, I got work, but I promise we can go to beach soon and you can show me and your _abuela_ everything you've learnt."

"Okay papa," Chris places a sloppy kiss on Buck's cheek, "Bye."

"Bye Superman," He turns to Carla, "Thanks for bringing him Carla."

The woman - Carla - dissmisses is thanks, "Don't be silly Buckaroo, you be safe now."

Buck smirks at her, "Aren't I always?"

"Do not make me smack you in front of your son Buck," She chides, her tone laced with amusement.

Carla and Chris leave, and Bobby turns to Buck, "Didn't know you had a child Buck."

"Oh yeah, he's the best kid, love him to death."

"I'm sure you do."

"Hey Buck, whenever you're free, we should set up a playdate between Chris and Denny."

"Oh yeah, for sure."

\-------

Buck sighs as he drops down onto the bed, it was a long day, after Chris had left they had calls almost back to back, nothing big, just lots and lots of major calls, to make matters worse, their call with Eddie had been cut short. Chris threw a big tantrum after that and god Buck sympathised with Chris, he did, he missed Eddie like crazy, missed the way his eyes would crinkle when he laughed or the way his bros furrowed and tongue peaked out when he was concentrating on something. He just missed being with his husband.

Buck had gotten accustomed to sleeping in an empty bed, but that didn't mean the he didn't hate every second of it. He'd picked up a habit after Eddie had left, he'd cuddle the pillow and bury his face in it - he made sure that he sprayed one of Eddie's colognes on it and every now and then Buck would let himself cry himself to sleep while he yearned for Eddie.

\-------

Today had been slow and Buck welcomed the contrast to yesterday's shift. Everyone was doing some sort of chore, and Buck had been tasked with cleaning the trucks along with Hen. He was enjoying it until a familiar voice called out to him and Buck freezes.

"Buck?"

He drops the cloth and turns around, a multitude of emotions running through him, "Shannon." 

"Hi," She waves.

"Hi."

He can see Hen move away, almost as if she could sense the tension.

"I, uh, I saw you on T.V the other day." 

Buck nods, unsure of what to say, no doubt she was referring to the call that had gotten him a good scolding from Bobby.

"I didn't know you were in L.A."

"You would've if you answered the phone." He couldn't help it, she hurt Eddie and Chris.

"I - I'm sorry Buck."

"What do you need Shannon?"

"I wanted to apologise for leaving and I was hoping to make things right."

"I'm not the one you left."

"Did you know he cries out for you at night?" The anger in his voice is something that he's never heard himself before, "Or that he thinks that he's a burden and that's why you left?"

"Oh my god," She whispers, tears pooling in her eyes, "I - I never - he must hate me."

The guilt in her voice is heavy and a small part of Buck is glad that she recognises what she's done but the bigger part of him feels sorry for her, "He doesn't hate you, he couldn't never hate you." 

She wipes at her eyes, "I - I was hopping to see him."

Buck bites the inside of his lip, he needs to talk to Eddie about this and he hates that the reason he's not here is standing in front of him, "I - I'm not sure that's the best idea Shan."

Her face falls, "What?"

"We're still getting settled in and - and everything's still new; it might be too much for him." 

"Oh," She comments, "What about Eddie?"

Buck's heart aches at the mention of his husband, "He's not here."

Realisation dawns on her, "He deployed again?" 

Buck hates her tone, the way she's implying that he left because he wanted to, "He didn't have a choice," Buck defends him.

"There's always a choice Buck." She says tentatively.

"Yeah well, if you answered your phone once in a while we - we would've been having a different conversation."

She looks guilty again, "I'm sorry Buck, I really am, it's just after everything-"

"I get that but you didn't have to cut Chris out of your life," He tells her, forcing his anger down, "You left him Shannon."

"I wasn't the only one who left Buck-"

"At least he called and talked to Chris, we both did," He forces out, keeping his own emotions at bay, "No matter what, I get that we were deployed but at least we tried Shannon, you didn't even look back once at your son." 

"I never meant for it to happen Buck, you know that," She implores, eyes shining with unshed tears, "I love him."

"I know you do but this isn't something that I can just decide, I - I need to talk to Chris and - and Eddie to figure everything out, I know you want to be in his life but does he want to be in yours? What's to say that you wouldn't leave him again?"

"I wouldn't! I wouldn't leave him again, I would never forgive myself if I ever did that again."

The alarm blares and startles the both of them, he turns to her, "I'll call you once I've talked to Eddie. Goodbye Shannon."

He doesn't wait for a response and rushes inside the truck, ignoring the worried looks the rest of them team was giving him .

"Who was that Buck?" Hen asks him.

"Chris' mum." He answers, hoping his hostile tone would deter them from asking them any questions, and it does, Hen, Chim and Bobby don't ask him anything after that.

\-------

"Is he asleep?" Eddie's voice filters though the speaker.

Buck nods, "Out like a light."

"Okay so what was the big thing you needed to talk about?"

Buck steels his nerves, "Shannon came to the station today."

"She what?" Eddie asks, eyes bugging out of his head.

"She wanted to apologise and wanted to see Chris."

Eddie blinks, clearly trying to process the information that Buck had just dumped.

"I - Okay, that's a - that's a lot to take in."

Buck nods, "I told her that she should wait and I would talk to you first."

Eddie give him a small smile and Buck falls a little harder.

"Have you said anything to Chris?"

Buck shakes his head, "Not yet, I was planning to tell him tomorrow, after you obviously. I want him to make the decision, he can decide if she wants to see Shannon."

Eddie nods, "I just don't want her to hurt him again, god the weeks after the divorce were the worst."

Buck surpasses a cringe at memory, he hated seeing Chris like that.

Eddie goes to say something but is cut off by an explosion and Buck's heart jumps the screen flickers for a few seconds.

"I have to go, I'm sorry."

"Please be safe."

"For you? Always."

"I love you."

" _Te amo mucho_."

The screen cuts to black and Buck stares at his reflection. 

Buck crawls into bed, this time wearing one of Eddie's old t-shirts, it's tight on him and barely fits but it's warm and comforting.

Buck cries himself to sleep that night.

\------

A week later, Buck doesn't stop checking his phone and he's sure that Hen's going to snatch it out of his hands any second.

"Boy if you don't put your phone down." She warns.

"Sorry," He apologies, placing the phone down, "I - I'm just worried."

Her face softens, "It's going to be alright, worrying is not going to help anyone. Carla will call you if anything happens you know that, so let Chris and Shannon be and you come here and lose at Mario Kart."

"Hey!" Buck protests, "I'm not going to lose."

Buck loses. Multiple times.

It doesn't matter thought, it takes his mind off with everything and especially with the conversation that he'd had with Eddie last night.

_"What?"_

_"I'm sorry," Eddie apologises, " I don't want to but Williams' the only other medic in the regiment and he's hurt, I - I didn't have a choice, I'm sorry."_

_"It's fine Eddie," Buck reassures him, "I get it." He does, because he's been in the same position as Eddie, in fact they had a very similar conversation a few years ago, except Buck was on the other side of the screen._

_"I love you so much Evan Buckley-Diaz."_

_Buck laughs, "Legally it's still Buckley, we never finished the paperwork with Chris' surgery."_

The alarm blares to life and Buck's glad, it was becoming embarrassing to lose _that_ many times to Hen.

\-------

Life goes on for the next 3 months, except Shannon now has Christopher every other week, and with Christmas around the corner, Buck had been buried deep in Christmas planning, how to sort out everything, with Shannon, in the end it worked out, Chris would be with Shannon because Buck had a shift. 

"I'm sorry Superman, you know there's no where else I'd be in the world."

"Stupid work." Chris mutters as he finished the gingerbread house.

Buck doesn't say anything and instead kisses his head, "I love you kiddo."

When Chris doesn't answer he gets up and bids goodbye to Shannon, just as he's about to leave he hears a faint _'I love you too papa_ '.

If he walks into the station with a frown, no one says anything, in fact Hen had the same frown as him.

"Denny?" He asks her.

She nods.

"Chris?"

He nods.

They make their way up and Buck grabs an apple before sitting himself down on the sofa.

Buck doesn't hate Christmas, he really doesn't, but the whole family sentiment makes him hate it, because Eddie's not there with them, he's in some godforsaken desert fighting for his life while Buck sits and enjoys a fucking apple. 

"Woah there," Chim says as he sits on the sofa, "Glare any harder and you might actually make a hole in the table."

Buck blinks back out of his thoughts, "Sorry," He apologises.

"It's fine, you want to talk about what's bothering you?"

"Nah," He dismisses the concern and gets up, "Everything's fine."

"You sure?"

Buck goes to answer but is stopped when he see a familiar face in the bay and his breath catches in his throat, it couldn't be.

He drops the apple and runs down the stairs, he could faintly hear the confused shouts of Chim and Hen. He doesn't stop running until he's staring at the face.

Buck tentatively places his hand on his face, "Eddie?" His voice barely above a whisper.

"Evan." He breathes.

"You're really here." Buck latches onto him, and can't stop the tears from falling down his face, "You're really here."

"I am." Eddie pulls back and kisses Buck.

Buck savours every second of it, relishing in the feeling having his husband here with him.

"How?"

"Williams' back," Eddie says placing a kiss to his forehead, "I'm done, for good."

Buck sobs and laughs and then hugs Eddie, "I love you."

"I love you so much, god it was awful without you."

"I missed you so much Eds."

"I missed you more Evan."

Bobby stares at the sight in front of him, Buck was holding onto a man like a lifeline. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but whatever they're talking about is making Buck happy. The man was in Army uniform and it explains Buck's reluctance to talk about his relationship. 

_"Dude that's like the 10th girl you've turned down, are you like asexual or something?"_

_Buck laughs at Chim's comment and Bobby hides an eye roll, Chim was probably asking him to end whatever bet he and Hen had going on._

_"Nah man, I'm taken, doubt he'd like it if I brought some girl I knew all of 5 minutes back home."_

_"Damn, is he going to come to the Station fundraiser then?"_

_Bobby watched as the smile fell from Buck's face, "No, uh, we're in a long distance relationship."_

He saw the dogtogs and his eyes widen at the ring hanging from it, a wedding ring no doubt. It was a sleek black ring and he could see faint lines of silver, an engraving Bobby guesses. Buck finally turns to them, his hands intertwined with the other man's as a fait blush coats his cheeks.

"This is my husband Eddie."

**Author's Note:**

> i have like 5 more wips, and i hate myself for lacking any semblance of self control and starting them. 3 of them are more seal buck stories, for some fucking reason i just cannot get enough of that tag ??
> 
> [my tumblr !](http://ho1yhell.tumblr.com/)


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